LIVE LIFE UP HIGH

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The Power of Choice
I know we ended our off last time discussing the power of choice but I think this point is so important that we need to delve into it a little deeper. Your power to choose is one of the most powerful God-given forces in the universe. You can choose to be rich or poor, a winner or a loser, a success or a failure, a giver or a robber, a person of accomplishment or a person of excuse. It is really all up to you. So before we start on this journey to your best business and professional life we must begin with the most powerful thing you can do. Choose.

Make Your Choice a Quality Choice
Most of us have experienced making a choice one day and then violating that choice the next day. What I am suggesting today is that you make a quality choice. A quality choice is one that is backed up with the commitment to do whatever it takes (without causing harm to others or yourself) to live up to the choice you have made.

Check out these 5 great quotes about choice

The strongest principle of growth lies in human choice.
George Eliot

There are two primary choices in life; to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them.
Denis Waitley

We choose our joys and sorrows long before we experience them.
Kahlil Gibran

What we call the secret of happiness is no more a secret than our willingness to choose life.
Leo Buscaglia

You are the person who has to decide. Whether you’ll do it or toss it aside; you are the person who makes up your mind. Whether you’ll lead or will linger behind. Whether you’ll try for the goal that’s afar. Or just be contented to stay where you are.
Edgar A. Guest

Here are 12 powerful choices you can make
1. Choose to be the best version of yourself by God’s grace.
2. Choose to constantly increase.
3. Choose to be the best businessperson you can be.
4. Choose not to limit yourself.
5. Choose to be humble.
6. Choose to be a person of faith.
7. Choose to be a winner.
8. Choose to be prosperous.
9. Choose to be generous and loving to others.
10. Choose to discover and use your best gifts to help others.
11. Choose to discover and fulfill your destiny.
12. Choose to do no harm.

I encourage you to make a quality choice to live your best life today. As always I welcome your comments.

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How are you living?

Many entrepreneurs are living their personal and professional lives in a cloudy haze. They don’t have clear written goals and plans to achieve them.  They really don’t know where they want to end up in life so they live their lives without a clear strategic plan, a winning personal culture and definite concrete actions to take them to this destiny.

You are destined for something great.

Some entrepreneurs are even waiting for their destiny to smack them in the face. They don’t know that they must discover the destiny that is already in them. There is a saying I heard recently,  ”destiny is not a matter of chance it is a choice”. This is very true. You have the right to choose your best personal and professional life. You have the right to move towards a destiny and to live a great life. Obviously there are some things you must do to reach this destiny but you can reach it.  

Let’s begin moving towards our destiny.

My fellow entrepreneurs, over the next few posts let’s take the time to explore some of the best information on effective goal setting, effective planning and goal achievement.  I will pull from some of the best thinkers and writers on the subject and synthesize this information for you in a way that you can take action on it right away. Step by step we will move towards your best life.

The power of choice.

If you want this life your first step is to make a choice. Decide today to be the best you can be and to live the best life you can live. Decide today to do whatever it takes to be your best, give your best, and have the best business and professional life you can have. Choose to have a great destiny and to leave a great legacy. I challenge you to choose greatness today.

Please join me over the next few posts as we move closer to our destiny and live our best lives.

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In this final post discussing Dr. Caroline Leaf’s book, Who Switched off My Brain?: Controlling Toxic Thoughts and Emotions, we will briefly describe the last three detox steps outlined in the book.

Detox Step 11 – Diet – Dr. Leaf suggests that you should never eat when you are angry or facing any other unpleasant emotions. Eating during those times can make your food toxic to you. Your toxic thoughts will interfere with the proper working of your digestive system. 

Another important point is that when you eat well you will properly feed your brain. Dr. Leaf explains that a major source of food for the brain is glucose. Of course, you need to eat this in the proper quantities.

Finally, it is important to think about what you eat. In the book Dr. Leaf mentions a few of the types of foods that help us think well and feel good.

Detox Step 12: The Spiritual aspect – In this section Dr. Leaf talks about the power of spiritual truth to deal with toxic emotions. The Christian faith is the guiding belief of her life and mine. I encourage you to live in your spiritual truth.

Detox Step 13: Relax – The “acceleration syndrome” is the cause of many mental, physical and emotional health problems. The key point here is to learn to spend your time wisely. You must focus on what is good for you and you must take time to relax.

We have reached the end of the steps to detox your thinking.  These last 3 detox steps are obvious and we hear them all the time, but sometimes as entrepreneurs we don’t do them. Make a decision today to begin using all the steps to detox your thinking and improve your life. 

As always I appreciate your comments.

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In this post we continue our discussion of Dr. Caroline Leaf’s book Who Switched off My Brain?: Controlling Toxic Thoughts and Emotions. We are specifically looking at the steps she recommends for detoxing your brain. In the previous post we discussed the first five detox steps. In this post we continue by briefly discussing steps 6-9.

Detox Step 6 – Think Forgiveness – Much has been written about the importance of forgiving yourself and others in order to acheive success. Dr. Leaf  joins these writers in expressing the power of forgiveness on your mind and body.  She says forgiveness is like taking an “emotional shower”. Forgiveness allows you to let go of toxic emotions and memories and build new and better memories. Make a decision to forgive and release those who have done you wrong in business and in life. This will add years to your life and life to your business.

Detox Step 7 – Love – Tune Into Your Heart -  Did you know that your heart considers and “thinks” about the information the brain sends to it. According to Dr. Leaf, the heart has a “mini-brain” that functions like a conscience.  She suggests that when you practice love and appreciation many of your internal systems are positively affected and help you live longer and healthier. The key thought here is to tune into your heart and practice love, kindness, gratitude and appreciation. These emotions help eliminate toxic thoughts. These emotions also help you to get more business and serve more customers.

Detox Step 8 – Monkey Hug- Therapy – Touch has long been touted as having a powerful affect on human beings (and others). Dr Leaf relates an interesting story in the book about a study conducted with baby monkeys. This study clearly shows the power of touch. It is a must read.  Caroline also mentions various studies that show that touch releases powerful chemicals from the brain that breaks negative feedback loops. The message: take time to hug and be hugged.

Detox Step 9- Play and Laugh – This one is self-explanatory. An interesting point here is that laughter releases feel-good chemicals that boost the immune system and does other great things in the body. To be a successful, well-rounded entrepreneur you must take time to play and laugh. Entrepreneurs by nature are driven to succeed. We must be reminded to take time and enjoy ourselves. Our lives depend on it. Consider this your reminder.

Check our Dr. Leaf’s book and as always I look forward to your comments.

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In my last post we discussed Dr. Caroline Leaf’s book, Who Switched off My Brain?: Controlling Toxic Thoughts and Emotions . In that post we discussed some of the dangers of toxic thinking. In the next three posts we will briefly discuss the 13 steps that Dr. Leaf suggests for detoxing your thought life. If you follow these steps, you will definitely think better, feel better and perform better. Ultimately, you will dramatically increase your level of success and the success of those around you.

Detox Step 1 – Consciously Control Your Thoughts – The key idea here is to pay attention to what you are thinking. Are you putting unrealistic expectations on yourself and others? Are you thinking fearfully? Do you have specific positive written goals that you are focusing on or are you just drifting through your day. Dr. Leaf suggests that you engage and analyze thoughts that enter your mind and make a conscious decision as to whether you want to accept or reject this thought.  Step 1 is an important step with several important sub-steps that you will want to read in the book.

Detox Step 2 – Frame Your World With Your Words – Most of us have heard that words have power. This is shockingly very true. As, Dr. Leaf explains, 

The words you speak feed back into the magic trees of the mind, reinforcing the memory they came from. When you make negative statements, you release negative chemicals. These lead to negative memories that grow stronger and become negative strongholds that control your attitude and life.

An important point here is that it is not just positive talking that is important, it is positive talk that is congruent to your positive thoughts that is important.

Detox Step 3 – Express those Emotions – The key here is not to deny what you feel. You need to express your emotions at an appropriate time, in an appropriate environment, in an appropriate way. When you repress your emotions you make yourself sick. Eventually these emotions will manifest themselves anyway and usually not in at an appropriate time or way.

Detox Step 4 – Take Responsibility and Take Control – In this step Dr. Leaf discusses the importance of being aware of what’s in your mind in terms of past experiences and conditioning. What are your memories and emotions? Once you are aware of these thought patterns you can begin to deal with bad memories by growing good ones. Also, be responsible enough to seek extra help (prayer, meditation and counseling) if you have long standing emotional strongholds.

Detox Step 5 – Dream On! – According to Dr. Leaf when you dream, important psychological and physiological processes happen in the body-mind connection. Because dreams give you clues as to what is happening in your thought life she suggests that you make a conscious effort to remember and record your dreams. Some experts believe that when you dream, the body can discuss its condition with your mind. The key is to decide to remember the dream.

I know many of my readers may be wondering what all of this has to do with entrepreneurship. I understand the hesitation but please remember proper thinking helps you to excel and take advantage of opportunities. Without proper thinking you will probably never fully realize your entrepreneurial potential.

As always I welcome your comments.

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I recently read a very interesting book on toxic thinking and its affect on all aspects of our lives. I found the book so interesting and so relevant for the serious entrepreneur that I decided to share it with you today. 

Did you know that the average person has over 30,000 thoughts a day? Further, did you know that an uncontrolled thought life can create the conditions for illness in your body? Toxic thinking can actually make you sick and if you are sick you can’t properly achieve your entrepreneurial goals.

In her book, “Who Switched Off My Brain?”, Dr. Caroline Leaf  helps you understand the anatomy of a thought, how a thought grows, what happens when thoughts go toxic and how to detox your thinking. It was really amazing to me to see how many systems of the body are affected by a thought. It has made me more determined to manage my thought life and to make sure I keep it positive.

In her book Dr. Leaf gives an example of three negative and incorrect beliefs that lead to toxic thoughts and emotions:

1. I must do well.
2. You must treat me well.
3. The world must be easy.

It would seem that these are harmless thoughts but the truth is they create unrealistic expectations and when they are not met they put your mind and body in stress mode and cause all types of health and performance problems.

Please check out the book and let me know what you think. As always I look for your comments.

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Entrepreneurs, in this post I share with you an eye-opening article that I read in graduate school. This article helped me to be more aware of the reward systems that I was using in every area of my business life. I changed the way I interacted with my employees, peers and clients.  I hope this classic article (updated version) is as helpful for you as it has been for me and many other business people. Read, learn and enjoy.

Kerr, S. (1975). “On the Folly of Rewarding A, While Hoping for B.” Academy of Management Journal, 18(4): 769-783.

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Well, we have made it to deadly mistake number 6 in our discussion on the 7 deadly mistakes new entrepreneurs make and how to avoid them. I hope by this point you have learned how to avoid some of these mistakes based on the information I have supplied. Why repeat mistakes others have made if you can avoid them?

Deadly Mistake No. 6 – Not Placing a High Value on your Customers

Many entrepreneurs have been taught how important the customer is but few have really embraced this concept so that it permeates every aspect of their business. Valuing your customer goes beyond customer appreciation days and rebates. In order to value your customer you must take the time to get to know them and then design your business around them.

Many entrepreneurs start out with the customer at the heart of the business but somewhere along the line the customer becomes secondary. This is especially true of growing companies. The entrepreneur’s focus moves from the customer to building the business and dealing with internal issues. This is a hugely costly mistake. The customer must remain the main focus of the business if the business is to thrive.

Here are three simple keys to help you keep your customer front and center in your business:

1. Focus on your customer – As the leader of your business the customer must be your personal focus. Spend time thinking about your customer’s lifestyle. What do your top customers do for work? What do they do for recreation? What are their biggest problems?  You also need to know how your customer interacts with your product or service. Why do your top customers buy from you and not from your competitors?  How are your top customers’ needs changing? What is the biggest problem your customer is having using your product or service. Start thinking along these lines about your customer and you will help keep them front and center in your mind.

2. Build your systems around your customer – This is really self-explanatory. Any system you build in your business should be built only if it helps you serve your customer better. If it doesn’t help you serve your customer better it is not a good system for your business. Simple.

3. Teach your employees how to treat your customers- Your customers are gold to you and they must be gold to your employees. Make sure every employee knows the link between their jobs and how they treat every customer. They must understand that without the customer there is no business and therefore no job for them. It is your responsibility as the entrepreneur to communicate this message to your employees both orally and by example. You may also want to reward your employees for going the extra mile for your customer.

In the final post in this series we will discuss the 7th deadly mistake. As always I welcome your comments.

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Too many entrepreneurs allow their past failures to keep them from moving forward and pursuing new opportunities.  They tend to magnify these failures and allow these failures to hold them hostage. Don’t let this be you. In this post I give you 3 of the 7 bite sized nuggets to consider about your past failures and show you how to use these as stepping-stones to new opportunities.

Forgive yourself – It is amazing how hard we entrepreneurs can be on ourselves. When we make mistakes we often blame ourselves and then condemn ourselves to the entrepreneurial dungeon. To be truly successful as an entrepreneur you need to take responsibility for the mistake but don’t dwell on it and condemn yourself. You also shouldn’t blame others either. Even if they were a part of the reason you made the mistake, forgive them. Lack of forgiveness is a negative drain on your present and it sabotages your future.

Don’t allow fear to hold you hostage – Sometimes we are able to forgive ourselves but we are afraid to try again. We allow the fear of failing again to hold us back. It is imperative that we get past this stage. The key is to properly define failure. As entrepreneurs we must realize that to fail at something is just an event not a state of being. We are not failures because we have failed attempts. As a matter of fact, most successful entrepreneurs have had many failed attempts. They usually have many more failed attempts than the average entrepreneur. In order to move forward we must resolve to make another attempt using the information we gained from this event. 

Glean lessons from the failed attempt – As an entrepreneur it is important to measure and analyze. Think of yourself as a scientist when it comes to attempts. Look at the failed attempt objectively and determine what went wrong. Identify all of the contributing factors that went into this being a failed attempt and then prioritize the factors. You will probably find that one or two factors contributed to the failure considerably more than any other factor. Isolate these factors and do an analysis to see what you can do to make changes in this area.

In Part 2 of this series I will share with you 4 other nuggets. As always I look forward to your comments.

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Here are 22 more things you can do if you want to fail as an entrepreneur. If you want to fail as an entrepreneur, go ahead and implement these items  and you will fail miserably.

1. Don’t give back to the community and to charities around you. This is your money anyway and you worked hard for it. You deserve all the spoils from your hard work.

2. Don’t bother hiring talented people. Hire your friends or hire people because you feel sorry for them. Hiring talented people is expensive. Yes, you may be better off in the long run with talented people but it costs too much right?

3. If you do hire talented people don’t pay them well. Try to get them for the cheapest rate you can and don’t give them any bonuses. If they go somewhere else then they just didn’t belong with you anyway.

4.Don’t provide incentives for your customers or your employees to bring you good ideas. You have all of the good ideas anyway.

5. Work yourself into the ground. Don’t live a balanced life. It is all about the business and the money anyway. What else matters?

6. Think short term in your decisions. Only care about the here and now. Don’t even think about how your short term decisions affect you in the long-term.

7.Don’t bother trying to understand economics and how it can affect your business. Your business is not even affected by what happens in the general economy right?

8. Don’t spend anytime learning the emerging trends in your business and in your industry. You will always have this business and it will always bring in income.

9. Don’t go to conferences in your industry so you can learn something new. You already determined that you know what you need to know. Besides, conferences cost money and they take time.

10. Neglect your family and friends. Who needs the hassle? They should understand that you are building a business. It is all about the business.

11. Don’t be flexible. Be as rigid as possible.

12. Don’t work on your communication skills. What’s that all about anyway. You talk and others listen. Problem solved.

13. Don’t create a business strategy. Just run your business by the seat of your pants.

14. Create a strategy and then take forever to implement it. Analyze the heck out of it but never really act on it.

15. Don’t create a unique selling proposition. Just be like everyone else. Don’t be original.

16. Let fear stop you right in your tracks. Fear is good. Even unhealthy fear that is not based in reality.

17. Constantly talk yourself out of good ideas. Keep doing the same thing.

18. Give up easily. As soon as an obstacle comes throw up your hands and quit. You knew it wouldn’t work anyway right? I mean that is what you constantly said.

19. Don’t learn from your mistakes. Keep repeating them over and over again. At least this is familiar.

20. Criticize your customers and your employees. They deserve it. Really give it to them. And do it often.

21. Neglect social media marketing. Who needs these new fangled strategies? Stick with the old way of doing things.

22. Procastinate when it comes to addressing issues. Put is off until it becomes an urgent matter that will take up a great portion of your time and resources. Who wants to deal with issues when they first present themselves?

Again, as I said in Monday’s post, I don’t want you to fail. Please focus on doing the opposite of what is presented here and you will be moving in the right direction. As always I look forward to your comments.